Telegram-herald., 1887-12-05
MR. LAnARYS
WHAT hssAys ABOUT pUsuc LASOa
Tbs sb1sss Uhiea Have Ar.ssa fsesa Gar
Lass Great sgssaE-s-- 2eaas tstREF Ei&a
o. surA.isx E<llFs@as
F4sfsr4sls

ke-zeiSzy Cl e. InlsrAor is .nkse pae1e.
4ee nrst - jses seasasd Is g1s p4shc
laads- Tas Espor. says Perhaps tbs
most dlm a.s za1 iapcrtaat 4aiy sta
weleh tiis cfpsstmsnt IS charged is ias
sdniHistFstloh u la5 pueiic laad sYsIssl.
lis tbsstrs Il IS operations embraces
1ezfly tczse-.0lrtGs Of las area u ths
American States sGd Territories. and sks
VIA inhaencs s1esc.ssd ~ ths de no aIion
u land o~nsfshs among the people rsn-
Gers the proper administration OF tae sys-
ten ~ profcaud importsnce 10 the pEose.l
and future prosperity OF the country.
Under existing laws il Is apparent that
the AREA OF our pubic land is rapidly III
mlnlshiDg. 1his woald nol Ha an evil If
the lasas were passing from the Goysra-
mfns to seals OF scinal occupation by 6ona
ncs -sottieTs, or s1sa nde purchasers for
purposes OF settlement. Nothing can De 3
surer safeguard ia free community against
the dominating influences Of powerful cor
/ poratlOIs and combiC 2tiOns OF capital than
| body OF independent small land owners
| living upon their own fgesholds. BIT the
| facts are skEosn 10 oe Otherwise. IL is q
| subject to which Rave been forced by the
necessities OF my position 10 give mucn
| thought. and tne conclusion TO which 4
| have come IS that uiost of the troubles and
| legislative action; and that such action IA
| me sole rsmecy.
| A detailed statement OF the work per.
| formed IN the General Land once and its
| various agencies throughout the country is
| fully set fortn IN tue report OF the Commis-
/ sionsr and the documents Herewith sub
uitted. It shows . commen0able zeal In
1 the purpose TO preserve the public domain,
| 10 prevent fraud snd illegziity in the
| auiremeut OF large areas OF puolic land. and
10 recover them from unlawful possession
| and appropriation.
| The Com missioner states that the follow
| ing amounts of lands have been restored 10
the public domain since March 4, 1855:
Acres
Area within railroad limits ...-...... s,95SI573S
Area within ralroad indemnify limits 81 5lj 20
Private land claims. ............... 57G 900 -
Fraudulent entries Cancelled ............ 4O0OO1Oo
| Invalid swamp aud other State sclec-
Hons canceAed--.- S6o.I4 40
Total restored to the public domain. 81 s24 4si .
In the effort 10 ascertain the proportion
| of the above amount which was restored
| during the lsat fiscal year. caused Their
| sugh examination OF the records OF the
Land Department TO be rnsde, but was un.
abe 10 obtain the desired Information.
However. the investigation resulted in
| showing that from March D, 1885, 10 0cto-
Der /, 1857. The number of entries cancelled
| lOr fraud, illegslity, abandonment and
| other causes amounted 20 81 ,07e, embracing
| an arsa of Ia 23o 9l3.O4 acres, making an
| asgregate OF lands restored TO the public
domain of 45, 663, 3e4 scres. In addition
there are suits in the 6aited States courts
| ald matters pending before the Department
| involving th= question OF the restoration OF
msuy miillcns more acres. amounting in
hc aggregate 10 ., ,499 $50 10.
0I t1ls amount 1887 $50. 50 acres were
"xsjuazei BY the Commissioner 20 be snb-
| iect 20 TeccgeTy under the adjustment Of
~ liroed grants, 50 iaf as such Adjustments
save osen completed" Nine grants are
stated 10 have besn iJus,cd, tnres ct which
1aye been transmitted 10 h department.
40 Of tAese adjustments, those c. tae
o1ain auo branch .Ine oi the Chicago, Saint
| Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Com.
pany, were passed upon October Z, 1857,
and returned to the Comm ssioner for read
ustmene The question presented and de-
| cided in that case was whe ner that partic.
mar granting act by Congress- in that case
| allowed indemnity for about 62, 600 acres Of
swamp lands and about 9 600 acres included
| silhin an Indian reservation. The exact
| Dhrasecloey of the indemnity granted bv
hat scewss for lands sold rcs,rged, or
| otherwise disposed eff The Commissioner
| reld that sw3mD lands and reservations did
| not fall Within that language. The Secre-
ary held that they did so fall
| The total number of entries and filings
insde during the year was Z4s, ,lTS. covering
| IS .o37 ,US9.4l scres; an increase o. 40 over
| he previous year. whilst the nuniber Oi
| originsl homestead entries Vas 52023 Gov
eing an erea of 159A35C.10 scres: n de-
CREASE on 6l5 entries and Ls5o 1850 acres.
! FINAL proof was mfde on -. .S66 homestead
entries. ot which lO.40f we're commuted
homestead entries, and 32l purchases under
he set OF June IS. 1880, an increase Of sic
| entries, ard Of e5.5o3 o. acres. The pre-
eraption entries were u 403, emorncin
5. l7Z 3ll.s0 acres; an increase o. 1851 en-
| ,rles. sDG of 500. I93 al acres.
| Under the cesert-land act 2, 2i2 entries
were made embracing 75i ols o9 acres:
3 decrease OF go entries and 1914 "a sCres
dFrom The repori Of he Commissioner o.
Tue General Land Office il appears that tbs
number OF acres OF land disposed of during
re past Escal year, under the various sc.
OF Congress authorizing sales. entries, rnl
selections, aggregates -, III, ,f00S4. OF which
| ia. .637 % acres were Indian lands, SSH.
-O7 50 ra lroads selections. and 2109 43I 4a
| selections under other grants; the sszrerate
amount showing an Increase of 4. So, ,524 IS
acrfs compsred with the previous year. The
, | receipts from disposal OF the public land.
| were Si0. 7s3. .92172, from sales OF Indisn
lands, 81 ss4 3O2 80, At total OF Si2 28s 224 OF
an increase over the previous year of 8. "a !.
7z70s. To which is to be added IS. .29l re-
ceived on account of timber aepredations,
and sf2 1855 received for certified copie,
| Of records furnished 5y the General Lend
| OIiice making receipts OF that Bureau from
all sources az go 00S.s7.
Tndsr tie timoer ard stone act OF Iuns
3. 1878. $50 entries. embracing s0.622 acres
sera made being an increase % % entrie.
and % 9Is acres ss compared With lsS6
During the year .S32 mineral ente-ies
we're made covering =. 1882 scr-s. This
j. q decrease of nineteen entries and an IN.
| erase CT 7.4l0 scfes. This dces not ia
| ciude eighty tour coai entries, covering II
46l acres. AZ increase OF seven entries anC
| Of I 294 acres.
The number Of patents issued durinz shs
| year upon agricultural lands sac 4s5e. a.
increase OF 4073 over fbs prsgi71s Tsar.
according 70 he report Of The C0nmis
sionsr, but decrease, ss compared vii
| 1885. Of zSSf4
In reference to railroad land grants a..
Secretary says ApsFt from the me,hod
Of illegAi appropriation Of the pa5lic 10
main efsecfed taranxh fbe perEersion of th'
, s<vsral lsws for acquiring title tbereto,
became convinced tnat the sfninIstrstioY
o. Congressional grsnt. of lands 70 raxoz
ard rziiraeds had given rise 70 encTuoEa
! seuses. CONGRESS had lot cTslv made zrzna
wbica u soms Instances sxesesfed IN erten
the arsa q = hsif 6czen of tae lsFxsss an.
nac.t popgl0us sesfes q he T1icn. bat i.
astiusn pTovideG saas srv losse. e ls7d
, wfthin tie zrasses rfss ssoasd - ssfisfsl
I hv selections cf lands w'ssia etbrr ~
, adjoining srniss thus usariy 1oah.ing sh
ara ~ sks eriesnsl grs1ts. Tn6e- fhsse sce
! sos TAnf 8lzpsr. ~snf had withdraw.
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